FRIDAY 13 MAY 2005

FEDERAL BUDGET IGNORES INDIGENOUS SUFFERING

Indigenous Australians have all but been left out of the Federal Budget, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) said today.

“Despite a $34.6 billion surplus and $21.7 billion in tax cuts, the Government could find only $42.5 million per year over 4 years for tackling the Indigenous health crisis – less than 10% of the AMA / Access Economics estimate of additional Indigenous health spending need”, ANTaR National Director, David Cooper said.

“Mr Costello’s tenth Budget, delivered at a time of record prosperity, makes it clear that the well-being of Indigenous Australians doesn’t figure in the Government’s priorities*”, Mr Cooper said. (*See spending comparisons below).

“Spending in other critical areas, such as education, housing and employment – the social determinants of health – is similarly inadequate in comparison to need.

“We are missing an historic opportunity to tackle Indigenous disadvantage.

“The effectiveness of spending also depends on the Government’s ad hoc Shared Responsibility Agreements and chaotic “whole-of-government” changes which are ideologically driven, untested and hampered by mainstream failures and deficiencies.

“The shameful aspect of the Indigenous spending figures in this Budget, particularly in health, is that the Government is well aware of the level of suffering faced by Indigenous Australians, including preventable chronic health problems, entrenched socio-economic disadvantage and a 20 year gap in life expectancy. 45% of Aboriginal men die before the age of 45.

“The Government’s approach is also economically irresponsible, with Indigenous health costs blowing out as expensive tertiary health care increasingly substitutes for the critical lack of primary and preventive health services.

“This is a shameful and discriminatory Budget”, Mr Cooper concluded.

Media contacts: David Cooper 0418 486310, 02 95556138

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*2005/06 Budget selected new spending comparisons (4 year figures):

• $170 million for Indigenous health (AMA estimate of need is $1.8 billion).
• $138 million for non-health Indigenous spending, incl. housing, education, employment.
• $34.6 billion budget surplus ($8.9 billion for 2005/06).
• $21.7 billion in tax cuts.
• $840 million to assist Solomon Islands with law and order.
• $511 million for the war in Iraq.
• $317 million for one-off lump sum payments to carers.
• $239 million to enhance the investigation and language skills of intelligence agency personnel.
• $170 million to encourage participation in sport and elite sport support.
• $36.4 million to maintain a Business Entry Point website.

Further information
ANTaR webpage - Analysis of the Federal Budget Indigenous spending